Regional manager responsibilities include overseeing multiple stores owned by one company that are located within a certain geographical area or region that varies with each organization. If you want to become a regional area manager, you'll need managerial experience, sometimes 10 years of experience or more as a store manager, depending on the company. A bachelor's degree may or may not be required. Many retail businesses promote regional area managers from within the company, so it's likely that you'll start in lower-level management and work your way up.

In many retail companies, the first level of management is a shift manager. Shift managers oversee the other workers only during certain scheduled shifts and they often report to an assistant manager. Assistant managers report to the store manager, which is the highest management level within one branch or store. You may need to work for many years as a store manager before you have the opportunity to rise to regional area manager, but hard work and dedication usually pays off. There's still no guarantee of being selected for the position, however, since many other store managers within a region are also likely to want this job. Since there are fewer jobs at this level, the competition can be tough.

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Some retail companies also hire outside regional managers as long as their experience level is what the company requires. A worker in the same industry, such as a store manager in hamburger chain, may be able to find a job as a regional manager for a competing fast-food corporation. Understanding company policies on hiring managers from within is important.

Regional manager salaries vary widely, but the job is a high management position. The salary often depends on how many stores the regional manager is responsible for overseeing. This employee must have proven experience in getting senior management's objectives accomplished by others. In other words, if you want to become a regional area manager, you not only need years of store or branch managerial experience, but you must have excellent leadership skills. Organizational ability is also important, as the responsibilities someone in this job may have can extend over many stores in a large area.

Discuss this Article

anon309353Post 4

Do you think big companies actually prefer staff who are dumb? It seems that managers like staff that don't have any potential because then they aren't threatened.

Ana1234Post 3

@browncoat - I think you have to gauge the kind of company you're working for though. Sales manager jobs are always going suit someone who will ask for what they deserve and what else they can do to deserve it.

But asking for a raise or a promotion when you know management isn't going to give it to you, or when you don't deserve it isn't a good look.

browncoatPost 2

@irontoenail - This is very true. I remember when I was working part time in a convenience store as a student, and I was thinking of quitting. It was a tough, boring job and I was getting close to summer and thinking I would trade it in for another one.

When I told my manager what I was thinking, I kind of expected him to be annoyed, but he was realistic and thanked me for being honest. Then he told me I was one of his best part time employees and asked what it would take to make me stay. I think he would have promoted me if I didn't work part time, but as it was I ended up with

a raise.

This annoyed some of the other workers who had started the same time I did but now earned less. But I was upfront with them as well. If you don't ask for it (and earn it) then it's not going to happen.

If you are really serious about becoming a regional area manager, even if it's a few years down the track, you need to speak up. If you aren't in management yet, then talk to whoever is up there and tell them your intentions. They can't put you on the fast track, or explain what you need to do to improve in specific areas if they don't know that's what you're aiming for.

A lot of people don't think it's a good idea to speak up and they expect to just be rewarded for hard work without asking for anything. In a perfect world, maybe, but sales management jobs don't grow on trees. You can bet anyone who shows an early interest and a willingness to do what needs to be done is going to be one step ahead of everyone else.

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